U.S. Department of Labor VETS Grant for Incarcerated Veterans’ Transition and Homelessness Prevention

1. Eligible Applicants
Applications for funds will be accepted from State and Local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), local public agencies, for-profit/commercial entities, and non-profit organizations, including community-based organizations. Applicants must have a familiarity with the area and population to be served and the ability to administer an effective and timely program. Note that entities organized under Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to organizations involved primarily in lobbying activities, are not eligible to receive funds under this announcement.

Eligible applicants will generally fall into one of the following categories:

A. State and local WIBs established under Sections 111 and 117 of the Workforce Investment Act.

B. Public agencies, meaning any public agency of a State or of a general purpose political subdivision of a State that has the power to levy taxes and spend funds, as well as general corporate and police powers. (This typically refers to cities and counties.) A State agency may propose in its application to serve one or more of the jurisdictions located in its State. This does not preclude a city or county agency from submitting an application to serve its own jurisdiction.

C. For-profit/commercial entities.

D. Non-profit organizations (community-based organizations). If claiming 501(c) (3) status, a current and valid Internal Revenue Service statement indicating 501(c)(3) status approval must be submitted within the application or the application will be determined to be non-responsive and it will not be evaluated.

(Applicants for grant funds should read this notice in its entirety.)

The U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), announces a grant competition to fund at least twelve (12) Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program (IVTP) grants designed to support incarcerated Veterans “at risk” of homelessness. These grants are being funded under the authority of 38 U.S.C. Section 2021 and 2023 as amended by PL 110-387, Sec. 602, titled the Expansion and Extension of Authority for Program of Referral and Counseling Services for At Risk Veterans Transitioning from Certain Institutions. VETS will have up to $4 million allocated to fund awards under this grant competition.

Applicants will be required to design programs which assist eligible incarcerated and/or transitioning incarcerated Veterans who are “at risk” of homelessness, by providing referral and career counseling services, to include job training and placement assistance, job readiness and life skills support services, housing, health care, and other benefits. Under this solicitation, VETS anticipates that up to $300,000 will be made available for each awards and expects to award at least twelve (12) grants. As mandated by Congress, one grant award will be to a penal institution under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Prisons. Projects will be selected that provide services to incarcerated Veterans at one or more levels of the correctional system, i.e., Federal, State and/or local. This notice contains all of the necessary information and forms needed to apply for grant funding.

The IVTP is designed to be flexible in addressing the national, regional, and/or local issues that prevent incarcerated Veterans from reintegrating back into the workforce. VETS will seek applicants that provide direct services through a case management and counseling approach that network with Federal, State, and local resources for Veteran support programs and that have clear strategies for effectively providing employment and training, retention and/or life skills and job readiness services to incarcerated Veterans. Further, since local and county jails are normally the first location where incarcerated Veterans will be available for potential grantees to focus their outreach and to provide program services, VETS also seeks applicants who are able to deliver proactive service approaches targeted especially toward returning Veterans who recently served overseas.

There may be future addendums to this solicitation published on Grants.gov and the VETS website. All applicants are responsible for checking back to Grants.gov and the VETS website regularly to ensure they have the latest information regarding any updates to this solicitation.